Cutting nozzles are used in laser cutting processes to achieve a uniform and high-quality cutting result. The shape of the cutting nozzle has a direct effect on the cutting gas flow and consequently directly influences the cutting result. Consequently, wear of the cutting nozzle which typically occurs during the cutting process also has an influence on the cutting result. The causes of wear of the cutting nozzle are, for example, bonded slag and bonded splashes of the melt of the processed material or burnouts resulting from sweeping or back-reflected laser radiation and direct or sweeping collisions of the cutting nozzle with the workpiece or other components. Owing to such wear, the shape of the cutting nozzle can change in such a manner that the flow relationships at the cutting nozzle also vary. This causes in particular a change of the flow cross-section and consequently the preferred direction of the gas flow. The negative consequence of this is, for example, a cutting result which varies in accordance with the direction, such as, for example, beard deposits of different extents on the workpiece. Furthermore, the above-mentioned causes of wear also influence the measurement of the spacing between the cutting nozzle and the workpiece to be processed during the laser cutting process in a negative manner.
In order to counteract the negative consequences of the causes of wear, it is known for an operator to examine the cutting nozzle manually. However, this requires time-intensive and cost-intensive idle times of the laser processing machine. In addition, the respective operators have to have the relevant experience to be able to carry out the examination in a reliable manner.